A Year of Projects Update - week 26

I was so late posting last week,  that I am now posting again in a matter of hours!
We are now back home and I find myself in week 26 of the year of projects (if you do the July start).
Firstly here are the socks I finished last week.

The yarn is actually much more yellow/honey coloured.
I explained why these aren't exactly what they seem in week 24!  I love them anyway.
So now what?  Well, I am continuing with the dust of snow wrap,  although I have run out of the alpaca and so need more on Monday (a trip to hobby craft was on the cards anyway).

I cast on Like a Cloud by Joji  Locatelli  on christmas eve, which is a lovely relaxing knit so far.

I also cast on some socks - no pattern for these,  just toe up, vanilla shortie.

The yarn is some Olann that I picked up at YAK in Brighton.
This does mean that all of my current projects are from stash - hurrah!
I think we are all feeling a little under the weather today,   so a PJ day is in order.  I shall be doing lots of baking.  I plan to make some gingerbread, a sponge for new year, some bread and will be cooking a ham for  dinner.
Edit:  by the time I have uploaded the photos I have done all of that,  plus installed a printer, cleaned the kitchen and am currently winding yarn for another project!

I hope everyone has a great week and wonderful new year.

A Year of Projects Update - week 25

I'm very late and this is going to be a very quick one with few photos I'm afraid.
We travelled across the country to my mum's last Sunday (I know this is not the same undertaking as in other countries but it took a few hours nonetheless!)  So we have been here in the west country for Christmas.
I have, of course,  brought some projects with me.
I do have an fo - my honey bee dance socks  (kind of) but I forgot to take photos of them,  so you will have to wait to see those.
I have brought my dust of snow wrap which is growing at a rate of knots and I'm loving this and the little pile of advent minis I still have.

I also brought some new socks to cast on and my like a cloud, which I  cast on on Christmas eve.
Well I hope everyone that celebrates has a joyous Christmas and that everyone has a wonderful holiday. 
Here is just one christmas shot.

A Year of Projects Update - week 24

It's been a busy week.  I am hoping that this next week will be slightly quieter before heading off to mum and dad next sunday.
First up is knitting.   My "honey bee dance" socks by Helen Stewart.

Now, if you have looked at the pattern and you take a look at the pic above you may notice they look nothing like each other!  This is down to two things (mainly the second reason).  Firstly,  I like to knit socks to up, so I  switched the pattern round and always intended to knit them upside down.  The second reason I found out this week once I had got to the first motif.  I was trying to find instructions in the pattern for making the bobble and realised I couldn't find them because I had two patterns with only the 2 pages of what I thought was the honey bee dance socks.  So I looked the pattern up on rav, which was when I realised I am actually knitting the astrantia socks!  So there you go - they will continue to be known as my honey bee dance socks but they aren't.
I've been making progress on my dust of snow wrap but I will show you next time.
In the week we visited glow wild which was held in the ground of wakehurst place (this is a branch of kew gardens if you know the garden at all).

I will leave you with a couple of pics from there.  Hope you all have a great week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 23

I'm a day late this week as we had a busy weekend.   We had friends over on Saturday and went to see father Christmas on Sunday.
Crafting wise I have not cast on a new sweater,  but I have narrowed it down and next weekend I shall wind the yarn in preparation. 
I have made progress on my socks.

This are due to be the honey bee dance socks by Helen Stewart.
I did cast on something new though.   I wanted something different to do with my advent minis this year so I cast on the dust of snow wrap from last year's knitvent.  I'm loving this new project.

And that is all I have been up to  - these are some pics from yesterday.

See you all next week.

A Year of Projects Update - Week 22

We put the decorations up today, so I'm a bit late today.  I am also hosting a christmas meal next week so have been busy planning.  However   Thomas and I have a day off tomorrow, so I can catch up a bit then.
I have an fo this week.  My sock arms is done.  And I love it!

I used stranded dyeworks for the main body and then dragon hill yarns for the arms.  I bought both last year at unravel,  so I should be able to justify some more this next year!
I have also worked on some socks but that is it.
I shall report next week on the meal and what I may cast on next (I'm still thinking about that!)
I hope everyone has a great week   please click on the link to see other yop posts.

A Year of Projects Update - week 21

And we get another week closer to December!  We have lots of plans for the month not least Christmas plays and carols.
I have finished both hats for the mystery kal.

I really enjoyed this - mystery kals sometimes scare me but this one was wonderful and the finished object(s) are lovely.   I have already worn the blue one and am pleased to report it is not bothersome around the face at all.  I thought it might be but isn't.  I knit the blue ond in a combination of eden cottage and some old Rowan alpaca cotton.  The reddy one is knit in some malabrigo that has also been in stash for some time.
I have made progress on the sleeves of sock arms.   I am getting on ok with one sleeve so I think I will start the other to prevent second sleeve syndrome.

So we are about to go and make some more bread.  I hope everyone has a great week.

A Year of projects Update - week 20

Steady progress has been made this week.  I am onto the sock arms of sock arms!

The photo shows the body but I have completed the sleeve cap for one sleeve and am now powering down the arm.

My Woolly wormhead mystery kal is going nicely too.  I finished clue 2 with hat one and am now completing clue 2 on hat 2.  Clue 3 came out today so I will not be too far behind - but I do want to finish the body of hat 2.

Otherwise the car broke down twice this week - I hope this isn't the beginning of the end!  And Daniel made his first bread.  Inspired by junior bake off he made a loaf yesterday that was delicious.

A Year of Projects Update - week 19

It's back to school here for the last slog before Christmas.   This half term is always a bit of a whirlwind of preparations,  Christmas performances and such like.
Anyway this last week has seen a bit of progress - again mainly on sock arms.   I have split for the sleeves and have  finished the front shaping.

I have also started the second clue of the mystery that.  I will again just post pics on Ravelry just in case anyone fancies it as a kal.

I am also making my way through some more bookmarks for gifts.
And that is that for this week.  I am really enjoying the colder weather at the moment - gives me a great excuse to wear all the knitwear on my walks to school.

A Year of Projects Update - week 18

We have had such a lovely week here.  The start of the week saw lovely weather and  so we went to get our pumpkins and went to the park to play football. The end of the week has been much quieter but we have still had fun nonetheless.
I have managed to do a fair bit of crafting.   I have been fairly monogamous,  although at the end of the week saw me tempted by something!
My main project has been sock arms.  I have done the bulk of the body in merino nylon from Amy of stranded dyeworks in her smoked colourway.   I picked this up at last year's unravel.

I just really have the yoke to do and then the featured sock arms!
Now this was all I was working on, but then I got completely distracted by the woolly wormhead mystery kal.  I knit a couple of woolly's hats earlier in the year and it's been a long time since I have done a mystery kal.  So I have now not only completed clue one for one that, I decided since I have a week to wait for clue 2 I would cast on a second!
The first is cast on in a malabrigo Arroyo in archangel and the second I am holding two strands together - an eden cottage fingering and an alpaca cotton which has been in stash forever.  I have not posted a picture, but have linked my projects here and they are there.

And that is that for a moment. Happy crafting and I will be back next week.

A Year of Projects Update - Week 17

I shall be posting a relatively quick update this week.  We have just begun our half term break here and I am hoping in between having fun (!) I will get lots of crafting done.
We are actually now experiencing some great weather after all of the rain for a moment so we need to make the most of it.
I do have an FO. 
I started making some little presents the other week for Christmas.  These took the form of some bookmarks.  I got the sock pattern club by Kay Jones of the Bakery Bears podcast and that came with a sweet bookmark pattern.


















So I have started with four, and will begin the next four today.

Having finished my sweaters last week I have cast on a new one this week.  I have cast on Sock arms in my yarn from Amy Florence, but I have not got very far yet.

I have made no progress on Askews Me, but have done a few rounds on my Honey bee dance socks.  I will post on these next week.  I also hope to have blocked my sweaters and may well have modelled shots!
I think that is it for a moment, I am going to enjoy my extra hour (clocks went back today) and go to have a bath in a bit.
I hope everyone has a lovely week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 16

I didn't mean to miss last week, but again, time got away from me!  However, I now have two (yes two!) finished objects.  And both are sweaters!

Ok so I say finished - they are both knitted and the sewing is complete.  Both now need blocking and one is awaiting buttons, but I am calling them finished.

First up is Epistrophy.  I finished the main piece and then steeked the front.  This wasn't half as scary as I thought it was going to be. 

I didn't do any reinforcement before cutting since I had used non-superwash yarn, I have subsequently sewn up the steek to keep it in place on the back.  I have no photo of that because it isn't pretty!

Having finished the knitting I discovered that I did not have enough buttons and so I have ordered them but they are not here yet.

My other FO is Faience.  I have finished this, but it needs blocking - I would like to block it longer at the front.  I will get a picture of this when it is blocked.

Both of these were lovely knits, now I just have Askews me as a sweater knit on the needles.  So I shall look to my list to pick the next project.
I went out today to get the penultimate harvest of the year!  I have one one lot of potatoes and I saved some carrots for next time.  Lots asked about the potatoes last time - they are Pink Fir Apple.  This is a variety I love but you can never find them in the shops so I have to grow my own.

Anyway, I think that is enough for this week.  I will be back next week as the start of the midterm break kicks off.  I hope everyone has a great week.

A Year of Projects Update - Week 14

I simply cannot believe it is October already!  School is as busy as ever and the boys are here, there and everywhere! 

Some progress has been made on my sweaters and now they are closer as ever to being finished!  I think I say that every week.
Faience is within touching distance.  I have completed the front and now just have the two sides to do and seeming and it is done - maybe this week?

Epistrophy is also very close, just a few more rounds on the yoke and then I have the excitment of the steek and button band!

I keep doing a little on the journal - when I have done a bit more I will update on that project.  I am also doing a few bits and pieces for Christmas, which I will also update on when they are completed.
So that is what I will be working on this week in between work, karting and some racing next weekend.  Oh yes, and we have an open evening on Thursday so it is all go, I think it might be another week before they get done!

A Year of Projects Update - week 13

Autumn has definitely hit here!  I do like autumn but we are having the end of the storms at the moment, so it's a bit windy and rainy.  I've been out to pick up the paper and am just drying off with a coffee.
I don't have a whole lot to report this week.
I have been plugging away on Epistrophy and am now up to the yoke shaping.  I am going to be cuting it very fine with the yarn but should be ok!

I have done a little on Faience and the socks but not enough for anyone to notice.
I have also been harvesting from the garden.  We have done very well with our potatoes this year (last year they were neglected) and these are the ones from just one bag.  The rest of the harvest is in the oven roasting to make a sauce.

I think that is it for this week, short and sweet!  I hope everyone has a great week.

A Year of Projects Update - week 12

Ok, so I missed another week.  In my defence, we went to Goodwood last Sunday and to be honest,  there wasn't much knitting progress anyway.
I did have one small finished object and that was my dish cloths.  No, I have not blocked them or sewn in the ends, and nor do I intend to as they are for me.

They are all knit in cotton yarn, I don't know what brand.
Since I have been absent for two weeks I have made a reasonable amount of progress on my sweaters.
Epistrophy is coming along nicely, I have joined the sleeves to the body and now am nearly ready for the yoke shaping.

I am knitting this in coldharbour mill yarn that has been in my stash for a while.
I have also finished the left front of faience and am now making my way down the right.

This is a pattern from pom pom that I am really enjoying.

I have not even picked up askews me,  but I will do when these two are done - they are both so close now.
Finally, I had a lot of comments about the sprocket in my last post.  I can report that I love it.  It is not inexpensive, but for a person who loves printed photos, this is perfect.  When the boys were younger I took hundreds of photos and then took the card to the supermarket to have them all printed.  I have many photo albums!  However,  now, as I'm sure many now do, I take lots of photos on my phone and that is where they stay, or I download to dropbox.  So this satisfies that need to have printed versions.  It also means I can start to indulge my curiosity for journaling that I have never really tried.  This is my starting point - I have actually done more than this but thought I'd share my progress,  since it is a crafty project!

A Year of Projects Update - Week 10

Despite only being back at school three days it seems to have been an extraordinarily busy week.  What with Darren being away, so I had to negotiate school runs and work.
I have done a tiny bit of crafting but only really on one project.
I did do two dishcloths - I am going for at least 3 so I will post a pic next week of those.
Otherwise I am working away on Faience.  I am knitting this in my own hand dyed yarn and the pattern is from Pom Pom magazine.

I am now mostly down the left front, just a few more repeats to go.

Daniel has been very keen to get out into the garden when we have had the time this week.  So we bought a few plants this morning to plant out along with some cyclamen I bought the other day.  We have also been keeping lots of food in the garden for the birds, which has attracted hundreds of birds.

Finally, I have been following Chelsea of Chelsea Makes and she was talking about an HP Sprocket that prints straight from your phone to little stickers, which I have become obsessed with to the point I ordered one that came today.  Next week will see me printing lots of little photos!!
Anyway that is all from me this week.  Hope everyone has a great one.

A Year of Projects Update - week 9

Back after two weeks and I have a fair bit of progress to share.
We have been on holiday in Cornwall and then we spent a bit of time doing family things!
FO's
I finished my sparkly stripey socks last week.  These are knit in Dragon Hill Yarn and are a simple vanilla sock knit with 9 inch circular needles.

I enjoyed knitting with these in the end, but I didn't like not having them both finished at the same time!

WIP's
I have made a reasonable amount of progress on Epistrophy, but haven't taken a pic this week.  I am nearly done with the sleeves and then I can join for the yoke.  I think when I get to that point it will fly by.
I have also made a significant amount of progress on Faience.  I have completed the back piece and am now making my way down the front.

This is knit in some yarn I dyed myself with onion skins and the pattern is from the last issue of Pom Pom magazine.
I also cast on some new socks since I had finished the last pair.  This is some sock yarn from Life in the Long Grass and I will be dong the honey bee dance socks from Helen Stewart.

I did also start my brioche project before we left for our holidays.

This is going to be Askews Me by Stephen West.
I have cast on a dishcloth for myself, but have no photos of that either - I will post when I have a pile!
I will leave you with a picture of the boys in a hole!

A Year of Projects Update - Week 6

We have had a nice quiet week here.  We have just spent lots of time relaxing and crafting.  We are about to enter a fairly busy couple of weeks, so I will probably not post next week.  I will try to update in pictures in a couple of weeks!
But for now I have lots of progress - no finished objects - but lots of knitting has happened.
First up are my stripey socks.  I have turned the heel on my second sock and am now making my way along the leg.  This is yarn from Dragon Hill studio and I did quite a long leg on the first sock, so I have a little way to go.

I have made great progress on Epistrophy.  I have all but finished the body and am now working the sleeves.  This is a cardigan by Kate Davies for the Yokes book and the yarn is from Coldharbour Mill.  This is my proper first full steeked project so I am quite excited by that part.

I have also finally cast on Fariage from Pom Pom.  This is using my moth saved yarn and is going very nicely at the moment!

The yarn is my own dyed using onion skins.
And finally, I joined the ChelseaMakes Patreon group because I love the knitting she comes out with.  She is hosting a brioche along from the 16th August.  Now brioche has been on my list of things to master for a long time so I thought I would take the plunge.  I first was going to have a go at a hat, but soon thought if I have to master increases and decreases as well I may as well try a garment I might use - so Askews Me here we come!

I shall be attempting Askews Me by Stephen West which is a fully brioched sweater with lots of leftover yarn - wish me luck!

And that is it for this week.  As I said, I may not check in next week as we are away this week, then meeting Darren at the weekend and then going on holiday.